My Teenage Daughter Has Ovarian Cancer And She's Dying Before My Eyes, I Need Your Help

Zoha is 14-years-old but she’s only 20 kgs now. That’s less than half the ideal weight for a girl her age. But Zoha is not like other girls her age, and her drastic weight loss is just one of the symptoms of her grave disease – ovarian cancer. But Zoha hasn’t even started chemotherapy.

“It’s been 2 months…she’s lost 2 months because we can’t even afford to start her treatment. They said that her cancer spreads very fast, so as I’m saying this, her cancer is getting worse and making her weaker. Every minute she loses is dangerous, every minute counts.” – Irfana, mother

Zoha needs surgery to remove the tumour soon. What will happen if she doesn’t get the surgery and chemo in time? It will be too late. That’s the scariest part of ovarian cancer, once it spreads, there’s no going back.

She carried her daughter’s frail body in her arms, back to the village – untreated

Zoha doesn’t have the energy to get up or talk now. The pain in her legs and stomach is unbearable. Irfana and Samdhani blame themselves – they say that if it wasn’t for their poverty, their child would be getting chemotherapy, would have a chance to live.

“We brought her back to our village after we found out how much the treatment would cost. What else could we do? I can’t save her on the Rs. 20 I make as a tailor…it’s impossible. Sometimes I think about a time before cancer, she was happy..she would smile often..”

The first thing you would do if you found out you were unwell would be to get it checked and get treated. Even if it’s a fever. Now imagine having a fatal disease, but not even being able to go to the hospital for treatment. Every minute of your life would be a risk – this is Zoha’s reality.

“As a mother you have so many dreams for your child. I want Zoha to grow up, get a job, have a family…she might never have kids now. But more than that, she might not even live without treatment." 

She can't afford to lose more time

Samdhani is a daily wager - any odd job in the village, and he'll be there to do it. But his work is irregular. The little savings that they had is now all gone. These parents are now at a dead-end.

Zoha has lost enough time already, she can’t go on without treatment any longer. The tumour is spreading, she is getting sicker and she’s living on borrowed time. By the end of this day, she would’ve lost another 24 hours. She can’t afford to lose more.

Supporting Document

The specifics of this case have been verified by the medical team at the concerned hospital. For any clarification on the treatment or associated costs, contact the campaign organizer or the medical team.
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